FIRST DRIVE: Refreshed 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Making the best better

How do you improve on what you believe to be the finest car in the world? If you’re Mercedes-Benz, you replace the engines with more powerful and efficient units and you add some exclusive features inside to further enhance the driving experience. After all, when money’s no object and even the most basic model starts at $106,400, pretty much anything is possible.

By Mark Richardson

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Wide choice

The flagship S-Class is available with four engines for 2018. The least-expensive S450 comes with a revised version of the 3.0L V-6 engine in last year’s model, which now makes 362 hp (up 33 hp), as well as the new nine-speed automatic transmission that just debuted in the E-Class. Mercedes’ new inline-six engine won’t be sold in North America just yet.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

All-new V-8

The popular S560 is not much more expensive, once you’re in the price range, starting at $115,200 for the short wheelbase, or $124,400 for the long-wheelbase model seen here, but its new 4.0L biturbo V-8 now makes 463 hp. It also has the 9-speed transmission.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Hand-crafted power

The S63 is the most powerful V-8, hand-crafted by AMG to make 603 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. You’ll pay for it, though: it starts at $163,500. Like the less-costly models, it’s only available with 4Matic all-wheel drive in Canada.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Light up the road

There’s not much to set the 2018 model apart visually from last year’s car and the dimensions are unchanged. The bumpers and lights are redesigned front and back, and the LED headlights are standard with an improved lighting system. On full beam, the lights degrade only 1 lux over 650 metres – that’s very powerful, but they dip themselves automatically for approaching vehicles.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

New displays

Inside the cabin, the front fascia is now dominated by two display screens, one behind the steering wheel for the instrument cluster and the other beside it in the centre. It gives the effect of one large screen that ends at the glove box. This display is an option on the new E-Class, but standard on the S-Class.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Everything on the steering wheel

The fundamental design of the cabin is unchanged from last year, though the cruise control stalk is now eliminated and replaced with controls on the three-spoke steering wheel. Apparently, it was North American drivers who most disliked the cruise stalk, which couldn’t be seen behind the left spoke of the wheel.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Energizing program

There is a new “Energizing” program that is a $200 option on the S560 and standard on the S63, though it seems to me a bit of a gimmick. There are six different, 10-minute programs that can adjust the cabin for your mood. It will tweak the colour of the ambient lighting, adjust the intensity of the massagers in the seats and even the fragrance of the air vents, and play music from your phone that’s determined to be just the right number of beats per minute.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Train your muscles

The 10-minute muscle-training program will talk you through various sitting exercises while you’re stuck in commuter traffic, or on a long-haul drive up the highway.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Self-driving advances

In all, about 6,500 parts have been revamped for the new model. Its greatest improvements are in its semi-autonomous driving abilities, which are just a bit more capable of driving without human input than before.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

More autonomy

The new S-Class will still make you put your hands on the wheel at least every 30 seconds, but it can now go around steeper curves and at a greater range of speeds. We didn’t want to test this too thoroughly on public roads, however – the consequences of being wrong could have been disastrous.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Trying it out

Mercedes recognized this reluctance and set up a closed course, with stalled cars on the highway ahead and pretend pedestrians crossing in front of the speeding car so we could try out the features.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Hit the brakes!

We approached a dummy car at 80 km/h with vehicles in each lane beside it, and the S-Class hit the brakes with no input at all from the driver. We stopped safely a couple of metres short from the dummy car.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Swerve safely

It was the same thing when a dummy pedestrian “walked” out in front of the car. We braked safely from 100 km/h. But when the driver pulled on the steering wheel instead, to swerve around the dummy, the car took over the steering. It swerved without braking and then straightened out the wheel to keep the car on track.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Assess the danger

When a dummy car drove in front of us from the side, the computer braked the S-Class to not hit it. But when the dummy car was just far enough away and fast enough that we would not hit it, the computer did nothing to intervene.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Change lanes automatically

Out on the public roads, another test driver showed us how the car will steer and brake itself on a curving highway. It will even change lanes automatically on a four-lane highway with just the press of the indicator stalk, provided the lane alongside is clear.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Know the speed limits

The new software can recognize speed limits from its GPS location and from road signs seen by its cameras, and it can be set to automatically slow or speed up the car to drive at that posted speed. No more tickets!

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

At the max

Of course, in Germany there are still parts of the autobahn where there are no posted speed limits, and we wrung out both the S63 and the S560 on those long, empty stretches. It’s electronically limited to 250 km/h, which we reached in sixth gear. The top three gears are overdrives, for better fuel consumption.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Time to relax

Most of our drive was at much more sedate speeds, and it started to rain. So I stretched out in the back seat for a snooze while my driving partner took the wheel.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Spacious recliners

Our long-wheelbase S560 was equipped with Premium Rear Seating, which reclines the seats at the back and will even move the front passenger seat forward to create extra leg room.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Even more power

If you have the money and the inclination, you can upgrade your S-Class to the 621-hp S65, which has last year’s V-12 engine and seven-speed transmission. It is much more expensive, at $254,800, but its rear-wheel drive allows it to include Magic Body Control, which uses sensors to anticipate bumps in the road ahead and smooth out the drive.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Tilt like a motorcycle

Magic Body Control now also includes a “curving” function, which tips the car at speed through corners to make the ride more comfortable. It’s the same principle as a motorcycle leaning into a turn, though the car only tips at less than three degrees.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Maybach luxury

There’s no limit to comfort if you have the money to upgrade even further to the new Mercedes-Maybach S650 which is an even bigger version of the S-Class. The Maybach is 20 cm longer and 20 cm wider, and has enough room to allow both rear seats to fully recline. There’s no official price for the 2018 model, but last year’s S600 began at $232,400.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Over the top

For complete excess and privacy on the road, the Maybach Pullman pulls the length out to 650 cm – that’s more than a metre longer than the S560. It has two reclining seats and two smaller seats for assistants that face them, plus a screen that hides the rear cabin from the driver. Pull the curtains closed and it’s a total cocoon from the highway. The price will be more than $600,000 – much more if you want one that’s bullet- and bomb-proof.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Chinese appeal

Around the world, one in every 10 S-Classes sold is a Maybach. They’re most popular in China, which takes 60 per cent of the limousine’s production. China also accounts for one in every three of all S-Class cars sold.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Break from the grind

There have been 4-million S-Classes sold since Mercedes introduced the big sedan in 1972, and more than 300,000 sold since its all-new model was introduced in 2013. Mercedes calls it “a small breakaway from the daily grind between two appointments.”

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Staying ahead of the competition

With this new face-lift for the S-Class, Mercedes wants it to not only be the best car in the world, but to stay on top of its premium German competition during its lifecycle. BMW, Audi and now Porsche all want to make the same claim with their 7 Series, A8 and Panamera sedans.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Luxury comes at a price

For now, Mercedes can be confident the 2018 S-Class is the very best it can be, for drivers who have the disposable wealth to afford a car that costs more than $100,000 – and perhaps many times that.